TY - JOUR
T1 - English as a foreign language in ECE
T2 - itinerant teachers of English and collaborative practices for an integrated approach
AU - Mourão, Sandie
N1 - UIDB/04097/2020
UIDP/04097/2020
PY - 2021
Y1 - 2021
N2 - Introducing English as a foreign language (FL) has become widespread in ECE in Europe, typified by initiatives involving specialist teachers of English visiting settings for short periods of time a week. This paper shares data from a study in Portugal that involved analyzing collaborative practices for evidence of approaches to integration in the FL. Taking a qualitative approach to data collection, four case-study settings are described resulting from visits and interviews with ECE practitioners and teachers of English. Data were analyzed following six core themes of collaboration. Findings indicate that successful FL initiatives depend upon administrative support and guidelines that foster collaborative practices which involve communication between professionals, mutual trust, common goals, and joint responsibility for outcomes and decision-making. Implications highlight the need for more robust policy-making and training which alerts ECE practitioners to their proactive role in early English initiatives and collaborative practices.
AB - Introducing English as a foreign language (FL) has become widespread in ECE in Europe, typified by initiatives involving specialist teachers of English visiting settings for short periods of time a week. This paper shares data from a study in Portugal that involved analyzing collaborative practices for evidence of approaches to integration in the FL. Taking a qualitative approach to data collection, four case-study settings are described resulting from visits and interviews with ECE practitioners and teachers of English. Data were analyzed following six core themes of collaboration. Findings indicate that successful FL initiatives depend upon administrative support and guidelines that foster collaborative practices which involve communication between professionals, mutual trust, common goals, and joint responsibility for outcomes and decision-making. Implications highlight the need for more robust policy-making and training which alerts ECE practitioners to their proactive role in early English initiatives and collaborative practices.
KW - Collaborative practices
KW - ECE practitioners
KW - English as a foreign language
KW - Integration
KW - Teachers of English
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85107761866&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - https://www.webofscience.com/wos/woscc/full-record/WOS:000660988800001
U2 - 10.1080/1350293X.2021.1928726
DO - 10.1080/1350293X.2021.1928726
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85107761866
SN - 1350-293X
VL - 29
SP - 455
EP - 471
JO - European Early Childhood Education Research journal
JF - European Early Childhood Education Research journal
IS - 3
ER -